The non-intrusive method of obtaining information on the attenuation of objects inside a body by the use of a X-ray beam—commonly referred to as CT (Computer Tomography), has been well developed ever since its invention in the early 1970's, particularly in the medical field. In the past, CT has been applied to fan beam geometry in a 2-D plane. That is, by measuring the attenuation of x-rays through a 2-D object with a source-detector assembly which rotates in the plane of the object about an axis in the perpendicular direction to that plane, it is possible to reconstruct an image of that object.
So far, almost all medical CT scanners use a 2-D geometry, which means that a 3-D view would require the composition of many slices of 2-D data. This is by its very nature a slow process and attention of the CT industry has now seriously turned to cone beam data acquisition which could be an order of magnitude faster than fan beam. However, there are difficulties in going 3-D:
The 2-D array of detectors become prohibitively expensive if conventional solid state x-ray detectors are used. However there exist now proprietary methods which Bio-Imaging Research (BIR) Inc among others have developed that would bring down the cost.
There exists no readily implementable 3-D image reconstruction algorithm which gives a satisfactory image. In the early 1990s, some theoretical physicists in the CT field, working independently, have come to the conclusion that for a good image of a 3-D object using cone beam geometry, data has to be collected around the 3-D object in 2 orthogonal planes rather than in just one plane, as proposed by Feldkamp et al (1). The basis of the 2 orthogonal plane algorithm is founded on the basic physical fact that with one plane, we collect only line integrals near to the rotation plane and there are no line integrals in other directions. For a good 3-D reconstruction, information contained in the line integral data near another plane orthogonal to the first plane is necessary for a more complete high resolution image. The improvement of the 2 orthogonal scan can be also understood in terms of sampling: Taking a second scan improves the signal/noise ratio by a factor of 2, hence lifting the image of the object above noise, which in this case are artifacts.
We Apply this 2 Orthogonal Scan Method here to 2 Cases:
1) The non-intrusive inspection of baggage or imaging of any other object which has to remain in a horizontal position throughout the procedure and can not be turned through 90° into the vertical direction for the second scan because of the possible shifting of objects inside the object. Other applications of this algorithm include the 3-D imaging of an anaesthetized mouse or other experimental animal for pharmaceutical purposes.
2) For the testing of any solid materials which can be turned into the vertical position for the second scan.
The references dealing with 3-D reconstruction which are relevant to this application are:    (1) L. A. Feldkamp. L. C. Davis and Kress, J. Opt. Soc. Am., 1, 1984    (2) H. Kudo and Y. Saito, J. Opt. Soc. Am., 7, 1990.    (3) B. Smith, Opt. Eng., 29, 1990.    (4) R. Clack and M. Defrise, 1993 IEEE Nuclear Science and Medical Imaging Symposium, San Francisco. IEEE Service Center, Piscataway N.J. 1590–1994, 1994.